1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to data processing systems and, more particularly, to systems having a plurality of coupled processors utilizing different operating systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many manufacturers of digital computer hardware and software, for example Data General Corporation of Westboro, Mass., have designed and developed proprietary operating system software for use in conjunction with their computer products. Any application software which is designed to run on such a company's computers must be compatible with that company's operating system. Software designed to operate under a different operating system must be modified to make it compatible. Such modifications are potentially time consuming and costly. The use of proprietary operating system software therefore limits the ability of owners of computer hardware using such proprietary operating systems to take advantage of widely available, but incompatible, applications software programs.
The availability of low cost, powerful microprocessors has led to the proliferation of microprocessor-based data processing systems. These systems constitute a large market for application software programs. Virtually all applications software programs must be designed to run under the control of a specific operating system, which serves to interface the application program to the processor and perform various system functions. One popular microprocessor, for example, is the Intel 8086, which runs the CP/M 86 operating system. In the past, however, a computer user who has invested substantial resources in computer hardware and software of a computer manufacturer using a proprietary operating system has typically been required either to purchase a separate microprocessor-based system or convert the software to be compatible with the proprietary operating system in order to utilize the various software products available.
Accordingly, a single system which is capable of running both a proprietary operating system and a popular operating system, such as CP/M 86, allows a computer hardware user to use his library of proprietary operating system related programs and still take advantage of the variety of programs which are available under another operating system.